The present invention relates to a wire dispensing unit and wire dispensing method for use in laying and stretching wire, particularly fencing wire. Specifically, the invention relates to a cart upon which a roll of wire is held, and a method for dispensing the wire while simultaneously keeping the wire generally taut.
Existing wire dispensers hold rolls or wire and allow the wire to unroll as they are pulled along the desired path, however they suffer from not having a mechanism by which the roll is released if the wire becomes snagged and cannot continue to be dispensed. Because of the various types of terrain over which fencing must be laid, it is not uncommon to have the wire being laid snag. In conventional wire dispensers if the wire becomes snagged, then unless the operator is immediately aware of the snag, the operator is likely to continue to pull the dispensing unit. While, if the operator is pulling the dispensing unit by hand, a snag is likely to be noticed before any damage is done, an operator who is using a vehicle to pull the dispensing unit is less likely to discover the snag and the vehicle will continue to pull until there is a failure along the wire, either the wire will break, the object anchoring the wire will dislodge, or the dispensing unit will be damaged. At the very least, this occurrence will cost additional time and effort to repair the damage, and in a more severe consequence, there can be additional financial costs, or in the worst case, the wire may snap, hitting and injuring the operator or a bystander.
The improved wire dispensing unit of the present invention incorporates a wheeled cart with a deck, a post generally perpendicular to the deck over which a roll of wire may be placed, and a pivoting front yoke attached to the deck slightly rearward of the front edge of the deck so as to allow the front end of the unit to tilt upward and allow the wire roll to be pulled from the post prior to the wire breaking if the wire becomes overly taut. The unit may be pulled by various types of motorized vehicles, yet may have a handle and is light enough to be pulled by a person. The unit has a high center clearance to allow it to roll over many of the obstacles that may be encountered in the field. While the unit will allow the wire roll to pull off if the wire becomes overly tight, the unit uses the wire roll""s own weight to maintain a degree of tautness as the wire is dispensed. These improvements benefit the user by providing a convenient wire dispensing tool, that eliminates the inconvenience and danger caused by wire snags. Also, the unit may be modified to have multiple posts so that multiple rolls of wire may be unrolled simultaneously. Finally, an alternative embodiment of the present invention incorporates a un-shaped swing-arm assembly attached to the frame that has a wire bar upon which a roll of wire may be placed. When not being unrolled, the wire roll may be swung up over the deck, and when being unrolled it may be swung down behind the unit.
The present invention includes a wire dispensing unit which incorporates a high center clearance, wheeled frame which enables the unit to roll over many of the obstacles that may be encountered in the field. The invention further includes an upright post about which a roll of wire may be placed. While it is possible to incorporate a rotatable spindle to support the wire roll, the present invention allows the weight of the wire roll to add tension to the wire such that excess wire coils are not allowed to unravel and the wire is released in a semi-taut condition. The unit incorporates a yoke that is pivotally connected to the frame along an axis perpendicular to the direction of travel and parallel to the ground. The pivot connection of the yoke is set back from the front edge of the frame and allows the frame front portion to rise off the ground if the wire becomes overly taut. The wire itself will then pull the wire roll up and off of the upright post. In this manner, if the wire has snagged such that it will not unroll, then the wire roll is ejected and time is saved for the operator, who does not have to splice the wire, but only unsnarl and reset the wire roll. The chance of damage to equipment and injury to the operator from snap-back of a broken wire are minimized. Although the unit is light enough that an operator can pull it by hand, the yoke is equipped with a hitch unit that the operator can connect to a tractor or other machinery to pull the device.
The unit is designed so that a multi-post deck can be used. The multi-post deck has an alignment hole that the unit post extends through. This aligns and helps secure the multi-post deck. The multi-post deck is further secured by bolts along a securing lip, or by other means. The multi-post deck has additional upright posts over which additional rolls of wire may be placed and unstrung. If any of the wire rolls become snagged, the unit will still act to eject the rolls. Of course, the unit could be designed such that the original deck has multiple posts.
Finally, an alternative embodiment of the present invention provides for a swing-arm assembly rotatably attached to the rear portion of the wire dispensing unit. The swing-arm assembly consists of a curved rod that swings upwardly and forward over the deck of the wire dispensing unit, or downwardly and back toward the ground behind the wire dispensing unit. The portion of the swing-arm assembly that is not attached to the wire dispensing unit is constructed such that it can be inserted into a roll of wire, and the roll of wire removably attached thereto. The swing-arm assembly allows the wire roll to rotate about the swing-arm assembly so that the wire can be unrolled. When swung forward, the swing-arm assembly keeps the wire roll up and out of the way. When dropped down, the wire roll can be unrolled with its own weight providing tension and stretching of the wire. Dependent upon the size of the wire rolls to be dispensed relative to the wire dispensing unit, the may be multiple swing arms attached to the wire dispensing unit.